


Neighbours

by hypnoshatesme



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Pre-Relationship, this is like more
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:14:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27160282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hypnoshatesme/pseuds/hypnoshatesme
Summary: In which they're good neighbours to each other.
Relationships: Gerard Keay/Michael Shelley
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	Neighbours

**Author's Note:**

> 23rd prompt was Neighbours. I also edited this at like midnight and am too lazy to do one last readthrough so sorry if it's rly messy

Gerry was holding his side as he slowly stumbled up the stairs to his apartment. He was walking carefully, trying to not open the wound any further. If he was lucky, it wouldn’t need stitches. 

There was a familiar yellow bag in front of his door when he arrived there. He peeked inside it despite knowing it contained a tupperware box with food. He smiled as he picked it up and took it inside his apartment. It had become somewhat of a regularity.

It had all started with that grey day months ago. Gerry had heard steps up and down the stairs all day, and, when he went to smoke by his window, saw that apparently a new neighbour was moving into the empty apartment facing his own. In the beginning, there seemed to be a couple of people helping him out, but as far as Gerry could tell, the blond that had apparently moved in was left to carry boxes and everything else up three flights of stairs on his own before lunch. 

Gerry couldn’t really see too much from his window except for a vague suggestion of blond curls - not that he was trying, he wasn’t a creep - but he could hear him panting outside his apartment door whenever the guy managed to bring another box into his apartment. Gerry wasn’t exactly sure if he had just been exceptionally bored that day, but it hadn’t taken him very long to go and offer his help. The sky was turning darker and darker and it didn’t look like his new neighbour was going to get done before it started raining.

The man’s face was flushed from his last trip up the stairs, breathing still a little laboured as he gave Gerry an apologetic look. “Oh, have I been bothering you with the noise? I’m terribly sorry, I’ll try hurry-”

“No! No, that’s not what I meant, I just...I have nothing to do.” Gerry shrugged. Maybe this was kind of weird. “You seemed like you could do with a bit of help?”

The man’s grey eyes went a little wide. “You really don’t have to, I...I think I’m nearly done, just a couple more things…”

“Well, you’ll be even quicker if I helped.” Gerry tried for a smile. “So?”

He seemed to consider for a moment, before giving a tentative nod. “Okay, I...if you really don’t think you have anything better to do.”

“I don’t.” Gerry held out his hand. “I’m Gerry, by the way. I live right across.”

“Oh! I’m Michael, nice to meet you.” He shook Gerry’s hand, smiling at him, shyly. “And, uh, thank you.”

They stood in awkward silence for a short moment before Gerry said, “Let’s get your stuff inside before it actually starts raining.”

Michael nodded eagerly. “Sounds good.”

Ever since, Michael had been paying him back for helping him out. It had started with him awkwardly knocking on Gerry’s door to ask if he wanted some cake.

“I...wanted to bring you some yesterday? But you weren’t home.”

“Oh, yeah, sorry, I...I’m out often.” Gerry rubbed the back of his head, still a little confused by the situation.

Michael held out the plate to him. “Well, it’s not as fresh today, but I hope it’s still good?”

“I’m sure it is.” He took the plate with a small smile. “It smells amazing.” 

Michael gave him another bright smile, and Gerry wondered how he hadn’t noticed the toothgap before. It looked rather cute.

It happened a couple more times, with baked goods, but also lunch - Michael had shyly admitted he apparently always made too much food. Gerry had suggested that maybe he didn’t eat enough, considering his lanky figure. It had made Michael laugh, hidden behind his hand, and Gerry rather liked that laugh. 

Eventually, Gerry simply suggested he leave the food in front of his door, if he wanted. He had tried to explain to Michael that he was doing far too much to pay Gerry back for one afternoon of help, but Michael had not wanted to hear any of it. 

So Gerry accepted his food. It was always delicious and since Gerry rarely got to cook, it was nice to have something homecooked once in a while, in between takeout and whatever Gerry managed to make in under ten minutes. He had never been much of a cook and neither had his mother, so there was a strange excitement he always felt at opening Michael’s box. 

Gerry wasn’t used to this kind of food, and neither to this sort of attention. He always thanked Michael, of course, trying to always bring the cleaned box back in person. On the days he didn’t manage, he left a note. But sometimes Gerry waited until he managed to catch Michael at home. He always had the most adorable reaction to finding Gerry in front of his door with his box, cheeks turning red every time Gerry thanked him, freckles standing out strongly against the blush. It was pretty, and always left Gerry feeling a little giddy as he crossed the hallway to his own door again.

Especially on nights like these, Gerry always found a new appreciation for Michael’s attentiveness. He put the food into the oven to heat it up and went to clean up, looking forward to not having to actually cook or wait for takeout because he was already exhausted, and had he not been equally as hungry he would’ve probably gone straight to bed. He loved coming into his kitchen and smelling the nice food. In a strange way, whenever he ate what Michael brought him or left for him, his apartment felt less empty. 


End file.
